Reviews of Anvers (2003)
by Ulrich Lang

Oddly sweet and herbal that reminds me of a not as potent Hanae Mori at first. I smell leather and moss and well as violet leaf like in Narciso Rodriguez for Him. I think it's unique despite similarities of other fragrances.

Love it. Classy yet playful. I guess it's not for everybody but thats also why I like it.

What a bizarre array of notes. It's hard to believe someone thought this was great enough to bottle and sell, but then there's not accounting for taste. I absolutely hated this right out of the bottle. For the first half hour the herbal notes are very strong and they don't go well at all with the guava and lime. Anvers does eventually evolve into something more palatable, but it smells very dated because of the herbs and moss.

While this is a decent scent, it just doesn't do anything for me. It's fresh, citrussy, slightly sweet, and smokey...blah. I also consider it very linear with minimal evolution, although the sweetness does give way to a bit of spice. If I wanted to wear this type of scent, I'd stick with Terre d'Hermes, which I find much more complex and interesting. Anvers doesn't smell bad, but it doesn't stand out IMO. But to its credit, it has excellent longevity.

Austere, minimal, a bit of shimmer, and a bit of smoke. A very clever fragrance for "today" that's for sure. You take in a little of this through the nose, and you ask; "WHAT IS THAT?" At first you are intrigue, and you like it and wonder why. Then you smell the fruit, and you recognize it as soft ripe guava, and you think, do I want to smell like guava? I never think of myself as a guy would would be complimented in my appearance by the presence of some guava around my neck. So, no thanks, I'll pass. Maybe if I were 25, I would like this. But I'm not and I don't.

Top: bergamot, lime, tangerine, sage, mint and basil
Heart: violet, jasmine, geranium, sesame and honey
Base: leather, moss, amber, precious woods and guava

Very strong herbal opening—it has mint and sage predominating with a sweet fruity flavor. The violet is in there right from the start and adds both a sharpness and smoothness. How the violet is used here creates a very unusual accord: It’s strong and sweet and edgy—not the usual fare. The top notes last long and various aspects of them are traceable well into the heart notes where I get a little more floral, and the honey for sweetness. The dry down is a subtle accord of leather / amber, and finishes off with a perfect second-hand smoke note.
Anvers gets high grades for originality and longevity. I’m not sure that I like the primary note in the fragrance—it doesn’t seem that endearing to me. Since this note is so dominant, liking it becomes very important in accepting the fragrance. It will take a while...

Anvers immediately reminded me of two fragrances: Havana by Aramis & Rochas Man. It smells a lot like a cross between the two. Since I am great fan of Havana (fragrances with tobacco notes for that matter) and Rochas Man, I love this one. This is a must try if you're into tobacco fragrances.

The reviews are so tantalizing that I was sure I'd love this. Unfortunately, I don't. The guava note is unpleasant and clumsily married to the heart and base notes. The whole composition smells cheap to me. It smells like a bottle of PdN New York gone bad.

With that said, I'll probably revisit this in a few months and love it.

This stuff is GREAT....I do get a second-hand smoke sensation but...It is VERY pleasent ( I despise cigarrette smoke) Anyway, My wife REALLY digs this one.

I`d say it`s sweet fruity citrus in the beginning, then vibrant aromatic herbal-mossy beast (geranium, moss and sage) as you can see in a lot mens frags like Messer Jacopo, Succes Fou etc. The only differences I smell is more sweet (guava at the top) and more rounded (leather, amber) compared with its predecessors...
I`d rather like this contemporary chypre fleury scent.

Really wanted to like this scent, but just couldn't. Anvers just doesn't work for me at all. Original, yes, it really doesn't smell like anything else out there, but that's where it stops for me. Words that come to mind: offensive, vulgar and inelegant.

Begged for and was presented with this masterful creation Xmas morn. I was hooked from the first sample run months ago. The combination of aromatic woods, leather, guava and other niceties breaks down to an incredibly savory smoky finish. By use of the phrase smoky, one would normally envision an acrid, cloying beast, not so, just the suggestion of smokiness brought about by the aformentioned ingredients. CAUTION: or slovenly snot nosed skatebording wankers gents. This be grown up and scrathing at the door for clubbing or the executive jet setter. HERE HERE!!!
side note: Hope your having a pleasant holiday season Grant, chalk another year up for the mighty Basenotes!!!!!
John

Truly original - the best new scent I've smelled in a while. It seethes urbanity. Reminiscent of a Fall evening out on the town, the kind where you can see your breath and the air is slightly moist, crisp and invigorating. It has a curiously pleasing note that, seriously, reminds me of second-hand cigarette smoke on a wool suit jacket (from back in the day when smoking was still allowed in the good bars). Class, sophistication and cool. Highly recommended.